Hi all

I have been offered a job on a reasonably higher salary than my current role. However, it does entail an extra 7.5 hours a week of work (8-5:30 as opposed to 9-5). I was assured this is a ‘normal’ working week (45 hours as opposed to 37.5). I’m not so sure.

Can others offer how many hours (contracted hours, not time to boast about how much work you do in the evenings) you do a week?

In terms of hourly cost it’s about 30p difference. But because of the extra hours, it’s paid a fair wad more.

Contracted is 37 for me. Obviously I do a lot mor… oh sorry.

How long do you get for lunch?

9-5 is only 8 hours if you include lunch as working hours, not many companies do that.

edit: hmmm reading fail on my part.

37.5 over here 🙂

37.5 Hours Standard for me, any overtime paid at single rate

.30 x 37.5 = 11 quid extra a week on what you currently earn. Not a massive amount…

My working week has been 37.5 hours for the last 20 odd years (in different companies). Only the first one had time sheets, after that no one had really taken any interest in the actual hours people worked, although pretty much everyone does more than the standard (some by a small amount, some by lots).

39hrs std for me. But do get Friday afternoons off.

‘Normal’ in what context – ‘normal’ for other employees of that company, ‘normal’ for an Far-East sweatshop? If you think the remuneration is OK, surely you just have to decide if this particular ‘normal’ is acceptable to you, no? (39hrs here…)

37.5 contracted, but ill work straight through lunch so 40 hours flat.

On average this year to date I’ve done an extra 25% as unpaid OT, so close to 50 hours a week. I try and make sure it doesn’t take the piss so if I do 12 hrs or more one day ill finish early the day after.

I would suggest that ‘normal’ contracted hours is normally between 37 and 40.

In the past I have done 35, and up to 40. 40 hours felt much longer than 37.5

45 is pushing the limit of what they can legally do. Are they paying you the extra days work per week, or are they just getting more hours on the cheap?

37.5 here, in fact I can’t remember having a full time job where that wasn’t the case.

36 hours for me which I do as a 4 day compressed working agreement (8-5.30 with 30 mins for lunch). Thursday is “my” day…..

36.25 8.45-5 mon-fri with an hour for lunch

37 and everything over is either 1.5x or 2x 🙂

Edit: but I work three weekends in five…

41.5 here. 8-5 Mon to Thurs and then 8-4 on a Friday. With half an hour lunch everyday. Best hours I worked was 8-4.45 Mon-Thurs and then 8-12.30 on a Fri. Brilliant Job and brilliant hours.

EDIT – No chance of overtime ever on the current job, so try to keep extra working to a minimum.

My official hours start at 7.39am, not 7.40am, dead on 7.39am 😉

Yes another 37.5 here, no overtime, hours include working weekends and BH

37 here, with a half 11 finish on Friday. Paid OT (for the moment) whenever I want too

It’s not an outrageous working week, but it’s not normal either. Right now I do bang on 9-5, I’ve done 50 hour weeks in the past but because it suited me and there was recompense but I wouldn’t have liked to be told it’s “normal”- it was me being ace.

Suppose it’s about context…

If they’re trying to convince you there’s nothing unusual about it and that everyone does it, that’s probably bad- frankly to me it might be a “walk away” sign because if your relationship starts on that basis, it’s not likely to go anywhere good.

If they just mean it’s normal for the company, or something of that ilk, that’s perfectly innocent and fine.

And equally, it might be that they genuinely think everyone does it- it seems to be almost universal that whenever people work ungodly hours or unpaid overtime or any other undesirable working condition, they convince themselves that “everyone does it”. The woman in my office who did loads of unpaid extra time insisted “everyone does it” even though everyone else in the office worked at most 30 minutes a day and claimed every last button back.

Laughably 37.5.

the place i’m contracting at the moment has 40 hours per week (8.30-17:30), but the permies do far far more than that.

THE FOOLS!!! 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

😀

edit: stupid emoticons

Contracted for 39 hours a week here (8 hours a day, 7 on Friday) – but those are hours of actual work that I can put on a timesheet and bill to a customer, so lunch hours and tea breaks etc are extra on top of that.

So realistically if I start at 9am, do 8 hours work and take an hour for lunch then I shouldn’t leave till 6.

Do you need this extra money vs an hour and a half of your life EVERY DAY. It’s the equivalent of a 30 mile commute and time you’ll never get back. If it’s not a good career move or you’re not sick of your current job, I wouldn’t bother.

But then I’ve always thought that after I reached a certain level of pay I’d rather work less hours than get a rise though I’m not sure I’m there yet. 🙄

36 hours over 4.5 days for me. Very rarely do any extra.

It varies according to sector doesn’t it – every factory job I’ve ever had has been 40 hours, but office jobs it seems 37.5 is the norm, currently on a French style 34 hours but that’s just taking the piss.

30 hours a week. mon-thurs. 8.30-5 with an hour for lunch.

rare i do more.

about 20hrs recently, it’s a bit tough but I mange…..

though threw in a 55 a few weeks back with traveling

37.5 for office based people here, 45 hours for engineers out in the field. Thats an extra 7.5hrs for them to spend in canteens 🙂

Don’t even know what my hours should be. Somewhere between 40 & 80+.

40 is standard
60 is high
80 is excessive/unsustainable

and travelling doesnt count.

Everywhere I’ve been employed has been 37.5 per week. I would have said that 45 is not a standard working week.

What are “contracted hours”?

I work a 12 hr shift pattern that should be 4 on 4 off but for the last 6 months loads of overtime meaning I am often doing 72 hrs (6 on 2 off)…crap for ride time but great for new shiney bits 😕

9-5 officially, which is the shortest I’ve ever had in a proper job (previously 9-5.30 or 9-6), but I pretty much always work through lunch and often leave anywhere between 5.15 and 7pm

30 hours over 4 days since 2007

Highly recommended

37.5 contracted here, although I do more.

Working Time Regulations 1998 state that your average working hours must not exceed 48 hours per week (measured over a period of 17 weeks).

However they can put it in your contract that you agree the limit doesn’t apply to you.

However they can put it in your contract that you agree the limit doesn’t apply to you

I have this 😥

Ar$e

However they can put it in your contract that you agree the limit doesn’t apply to you.

But you can refuse it.

Workers 18 or over who want to work more than 48 hours a week, can choose to opt out of the 48-hour limit.

This could be for a certain period or indefinitely. It must be voluntary and in writing.

It can’t be contained in an agreement with the whole workforce. However, employers are allowed to ask individual workers if they’d be willing to opt out.

An employer shouldn’t sack or unfairly treat a worker (eg refused promotion) for refusing to sign an opt-out.

— Source: https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours/weekly-maximum-working-hours-and-opting-out

37.5 but I don’t get overtime/TOIL until 43.5 and its budgeted on me doing 110% of my hours.

47.5 plus overtime for me, and hate every second of it.

37.5 hours a week. 0700 – 1500 early and 1330 to 2130 late shifts. Used to work 48 hours a week on nights last year.